Sixers try to regroup

PHILADELPHIA — Jrue Holiday didn’t need to say it Tuesday night, but he did. The Sixers’ point guard didn’t need to say it again at the day-after practice, but he did.

Holiday used the word “embarrassed” to show how he and the Sixers felt about getting trounced by Minnesota.

The issue with the Sixers is not in recognition that the Timberwolves manhandled them. (They watched an hour of game film. They’re aware of how badly they were beaten.) Rather, it’s whether the Sixers will be able to turn a negative into a positive in time for a weekend home-and-home with Boston, starting Friday at Wells Fargo Center.

“You look at our guys, really the most energetic games and the intense games we’ve played have been (against) the Bostons, the Chicagos, (Oklahoma City),” Sixers coach Doug Collins said at PCOM following Wednesday’s practice. “We have to come out every night with that kind of edge. And I still think we’re trying to carve out an identity. Who are we? … A lot of times, it takes you 20 games to figure that out. We’re at 18.”

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Here’s the trend that’s disconcerting to Collins: The Sixers (10-8) tend to hang with the best teams, and play down to the worst.

They took Oklahoma City (15-4) to overtime. They fell on the road against Chicago (8-8) by failing to box out with 11 seconds remaining. They heaped 106 on Boston (9-8) in handing it a loss at home.

Then there are games like Tuesday’s, in which they allowed the NBA’s worst outside-shooting team to shoot 24 points better than its season average from 3-point range. The Sixers needed a final-minute rally to pull away at Charlotte (7-9). They needed 24 turnovers from New Orleans (5-11) to eke out a win. They lost at home by 18 points to previously winless Detroit (6-13). They went to the wire with Cleveland (4-11).

“I think there’s times when you know you’re going up against premier teams or the best players or when you don’t want to get embarrassed — not even embarrassed, but you just step up because you know you have to,” Holiday said. “I guess it’s a lot more motivating.

“We can’t have that mindset going into games like Detroit. They had lost eight straight, but they were close in pretty much every game. It’s not like they were getting blown out. The Timberwolves shot the lights out yesterday.”

The reason for the Sixers’ inconsistencies, according to Collins, is that he doesn’t know what he’s getting on a nightly basis. Holiday, Evan Turner and Thad Young have been the only constant presences in the lineup. The bench, which ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring last season, is 25th. Nick Young is injured, Spencer Hawes is playing below-average ball — and then there’s the matter of replacing what Andrew Bynum would have given you.

“It’s a puzzle I’m still trying to figure out,” Collins said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s anything special. Certain teams, you’ve got to come out and beat them, so, when it’s time for the playoffs, you’re not saying, ‘Man, we should’ve won those games,’” said reserve guard Dorell Wright. “It’s a long season. We’re 17, 18 games in. But if we’re going to do something, we’ve got to start getting on the right track now.”

NOTE: The team said guards Nick Young (hyperextended big toe on his left foot) and Royal Ivey (right quad strain) are day-to-day. The Sixers didn’t run a formal practice, watching film for an hour and “let the guys go on their own” for 30 minutes, Collins said, so there’s no way of telling whether Young or Ivey were on-court participants Wednesday.